Why are you conflating the zoom with the PF's initial input? They are not connected, at least not initially. You in the sim needed what to intitiate the "ZOOM"? There's the rubbish, being unable to see the LOC as a development, not an instantaneous artifact.
You are way ahead of yourself, and the climb. Once input, the PF had no reference (back) to his attitude at handoff, it became a guessing game.
His panel displays are unknown. It was NOT his goal, as was yours, to establish a wicked climb of 3000 feet. His attitude increased NU incrementally, yet here's you saying he slammed full aft stick and Held it!
He did NOT.